Public pianos make their debut

The pianos of Sarasota Keys may never again sound as good as they did at the kickoff of the city's newest public art project Friday afternoon in Five Points Park.

"Down Home," the piano painted by Tim Jaeger and Cassia Kite, is wheeled into place at Five Points Park for the kickoff of the Sarasota Keys public piano project. / HT photo by Dan Wagner

Six professional pianists, seated at six spinet pianos colorfully customized by seven local artists, joined forces for a brief concert to usher in the new program, which will allow anyone to tickle the ivories during business hours outside six host locations on Main Street and Palm and Pineapple Avenues from now until the end of May.

Locations of the Sarasota Keys public pianos/ Herald Tribune graphic by Jennifer Borresen

"We wanted to show what a pop-up concert could be," said Rich Ridenour, a concert pianist who spearheaded the project after moving to Sarasota last year. "But it's just about impossible to find music for six pianos."

Despite his own last minute arranging and just 20 minutes of impromptu rehearsal with fellow musicians, Ridenour managed to lead a polished performance that included a jazzy "Summertime" from "Porgy and Bess" and a rousing "Stars and Stripes Forever," all warmly received by a throng of enthusiastic listeners.

"What a perfect ending to my day," said Mary Powers-Boss, a 19-year Sarasota resident who had volunteered at the Marietta Museum of Whimsy all afternoon and wisely thought to bring her own chair to the benchless park. "I think this is marvelous. I only wish I was a pianist so I could play."

See a time lapse video of artists Tim Jaeger and Cassia Kite painting their "Down Home" piano

Nearby 4-year-old Finnegan Moran danced happily around his mother, who was rehabbing a foot injury atop a wheeled scooter. Ann Marie Moran, in town to visit relatives, said that while their hometown of Detroit has many things "it doesn't have this and I wish we did."

Finnegan — who does not yet, but plans to eventually play trumpet and drums and piano — said "the clown one" (painted by Richard Capes with a circus theme) was his favorite instrument.

Jim Shirley of the Arts and Cultural Alliance, which is overseeing the project, said the program came together remarkably quickly by local standards, in just over six weeks.

"This has been one of those times when the entire community has really pitched in," he said.

That included the city commission, which quickly approved a six-month trial period; Pritchards Pianos and Organs, which came up with the used pianos (fitted with dehumidifiers to withstand Sarasota's weather); Ridenour and former City Commissioner Ken Shelin, who helped sheperd the process; the artists, who had just two weeks to work their creative magic; and a half dozen funding sponsors and business hosts.

No sooner had the last of the applause dwindled down than the pianos were loaded onto a nearby truck for delivery to their host locations.

"Now the fun really begins," Shirley said. "Now you get to be the stars."

The sidewalk in front of Main Street Traders became the new home for the piano Gale Fulton Ross painted with an abstract design she calls "The Secret Life of a Circle.

"I won't tell you what that means because I want people to come up with their own reasons a circle could have a secret life," said Ross, who is no stranger to painting unusual objects, having colorized a life-size fiberglass cow named "Bessie" for a Chicago public art project. "When I was asked to do the piano, I was delighted. It was even better when I learned that it would be interactive."

Whether the community will embrace the idea with the same level of enthusiasm, or if the noise factor and unrestricted format — there is no policing of who can play nor for how long — will become problematic, remains to be seen.

"It would be rare in any community — particularly one that has strong opinions like Sarasota — not to have someone who doesn't like it," Shirley freely admitted. "But isn't that what art is all about? We don't all like the same things. But I truly believe the positives will outweight the negatives."

Any issues over playing time will be ironed out through self-regulation after the initial novelty factor has worn off, Shirley believes, and he feels confident that "respect from the community" will deter any potential vandalism.

At the end of the trial period, the project will be reassessed and either continued, expanded with additional pianos, or replaced with a different type of program.

"Our goal is to have a good interactive art project going on in the community always," Shirley said.

Carrie Seidman

Carrie Seidman has been a newspaper features writer, columnist and reviewer for 30 years...and a dancer for longer than that. She has a master's degree from Columbia University Journalism School and is a former competitive ballroom dancer. Contact her via email, or at (941) 361-4834.
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Last modified: January 17, 2014
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